Parents must be responsible in child upbringing

Upsetting news was visible yesterday in this newspaper, indicating that the number of street children in Sumbawanga municipality keeps rising, beyond control.

Statistics issued by Orgnisation Pact -Tanzania earlier this week indicate there are at least 6,872 street children in the municipality alone. 

This figure is by all standards  appalling given the fact that Sumbawanga municipality is geographically not a densely populated area if compared with Dar es Salaam, Mbeya or Mwanza cities.

We would have been more shocked if we had managed to get updated figures of street children across the country. However estimates made only two years ago take the number to be over 400,000. Statistics show 90 per cent of them are aged between nine and 15 years.

Several works by researchers attribute the increasing number of street children to violence and abuse they suffered at home. Many enter the streets as a result of marital conflicts of their parents or guardians. But some flee their homes due to abject poverty facing their families.

However, in places where they flee to (the streets) many more face daily abuse from the police, child sex hunters and older bullies, making their lives even harder.

Looking at the issue lightly one may conclude that it is just a normal phenomenon but in an actual sense the matter needs serious deliberations by all concerned authorities in addressing it.

Understanding how street children behave before they are taken into care centres one is in a position to warn that over 400, 000 children in such a situation is not a small number to play around with. These are people who can dare do anything to get around, and to feel proud about themselves.

At one point in time, it was dangerous to meet street children in some spots of Nairobi City as they were capable of attacking an individual   with razor blades or pouring urine and faeces,  should such a person refuse to meet their demands.

Thank God our own good Dar es Salaam has not reached such a state unless the current group branding itself Mbwamwitu (wolves) takes up other misdemeanors apart from holding machetes and knives.

We may expound on the subject of street children in any way we want, but the truth is that parents have obligation number one to prevent or reduce this problem because street children come from our homes. They don’t fall from the sky.

The government and public institutions of various sorts have a role to play, especially by creating an environment that would enable Tanzanians wherever they are to cut down poverty. If we fight poverty at family level we shall be able to feed our families and cater for other vital requirements.

Unless we take affirmative action, we should not be surprised to witness the proliferation of evil groups such as Mbwamwitu in more parts of the city, and in more cities in the country.

The prey would be ourselves, and without regard to whether we are personally responsible for the plight of any street child in the city or elsewhere. That is why there should be collective responsibility of society for the mess that is street children, and collective punishment as well, if we fail.